THEY LOST A bunch of famous names from their dressing-room last winter but the Kilkenny brand has not been weakened by the wave of retirements.
Another Leinster title was collected last month and an All-Ireland semi-final awaits next Sunday against Waterford.
One All-Ireland winning manager believes the presence of the two best hurlers in the country in their squad is a key reason why Kilkenny are currently in such a position of strength.
Richie Hogan collected his first Allstar in 2011 and TJ Reid won his in 2012.
Last year the pair added their second Allstar awards but it was after seasons where they exerted a huge influence on Kilkenny’s march to All-Ireland glory.
“Really Kilkenny for me have the two best players in the country in Reid and Hogan,” says 2001 Tipperary winning boss Nicky English.
“I don’t know which one of them is the best for me. When you have those two players, they’re just amazing. They certainly are doing most of the damage for Kilkenny.
“So if Waterford can find a way to say that Reid and Hogan won’t score that much on Sunday, well then that would give them a great chance. But that’s not easy. No one has been able to do that. They have have grown in to that leadership role.
“Kilkenny were outstanding in the Leinster final and actually you have to re-rate the Leinster final now on the basis of Galway hammering Cork.
“I thought (Galway) were good in the Leinster final. Kilkenny were excellent, they just beat them well in the finish. A lot of it was down to Reid and Hogan again, they were brilliant on the day.
“(Kilkenny) have always had someone to step up. That’s their modus operandi really. People step up to take responsibility.”
Do you agree with Nicky English’s ranking of Reid and Hogan? Let us know in the comments section below.
